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' vFigure 1 is azvertical section inv fore-and- 'aft direction through a portion of a crank IUNinrEn-A STATES PATNT OFFICE VIGO HANSEIT, 0F WINNETKA, ILLINOIS,` ASSIG-N'OR TO STVANDEX MANUFACTURING CORPORATION, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

(iRANK-CASE 01mm.

vide an improved 'device forv supplying oil to =anengine crank case and-governlng the level thereof, particularly adapted to meet the exigencies arlsingby change of inclination ofthe vehicle on which the engine- Whose crank case is to be supplied is mounted. It consists in the elements and features of construction shown and described as indicated in the claims. i

In the drawings:

caseof an engine equipped with this invention,r` the particular parts constituting the invention being lfully shown in section 1 n said plane.

FigtQA is a bottom plan viewof the oilgoverning receptacle.. i

I Fig. 3 1s an end viewof the inlet fitting and -valve therein. l In the'drawing, V1 represents any source of the lubricating oil to be supplied to the crank caseof an engine', as a tank which may 'be located at a suitably high position under the seat'of ythe automobile. y, 2 is a pipe through which the oil is supplied from the tank, 1, to a governing device consisting of a receptacle, 3, ofv which the inlet from the tank, 1, is afforded through a `fitting, 4, Whose `discharge port is controlled by a ball valve, '5, the valve being controlled at its .seatingand unseating by a float, 6, in the receptacle, 3.A The receptacle is formed bv means of a top plate, 3, and a bottorn plate 3", and a body member, 3. preferably of glass so that the condition of supply in the receptacle can at all vtimes be readily observed, the top and bottom plate being clamped onthe glass body by means of four vertical posts, 8, 8, 8, 8, suitable packing.

y7,:being interposedbetween the ends of the glass body and the ltop and bottom plates respectively. The receptacle is connected with the crank lcase by means of a pipe, 10, which extends rearwardly from the crank Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led February 24, 1919. Serial No. A2-78,8l)9.

'12, secured to said fitting inside the recep- .tacle stands up in the receptacle at theside thereof. remote from' the crank case and beyond the float. The intake mouth of said tube, 12, is positioned at a level somewhat below that at which the fioat seats the inlet valve which is hereinafter referred to as the high liquid level of the governing receptacle. The pipeg, 10, serves to assist in supporting the receptacle, 8, and positioning it .delinitelyv and safely against displacement from the jarring to which it is subjected in the travel of the vehicle, by bein clamped to the bottom plate by means o a clamp, 15, which is applied under the pipe and secured by the nuts on the ends of two of the bolts, 8,A 8, 'by which the top and bottom plates are clamped onto the glass body as above described. The fitting` 11, beside the opening, 11, at which thev pipe, 10, is connected, and the opening leading upward at which the outlet tube, 12, is connected, has

a'doivnward opening atwhich a drain cock. 17, is connected, said drain cock serving to drain the crank case without draining the receptacle more than to the level of the intake inouth of the outlet tube, 12.

In previous devices of thischaracter and for alike purpose, the pipe connections from the level-governing receptacle to the crank case have been connected for outlet of the receptacle at substantially the bottom thereof; with the result thatv'hen the vehicle is on a down-hill grade, the governing device,

being necessarily at the rear end of the engine, is lifted relatively to the crank case so that the contents of the receptacle will drain out into the crank case. and the inlet valve being thereb)1 opened by thc lowering of the ioat. there is constant fion' of oil from the main elevated tank through thc governing device into the crank case. with the result of fiooding the latter or filling it to a higher level than is desirable. Such flooding of the crank case is prevented in the structure shown b v locating` the outlet. from' the receptacle, 3.-which is the intake mouth of the tube, 12, at its upper end.-at the side of the receptacle remote from the crank case, at a point below the high liquid level of the governing receptacle and substantially at t0 the pipe, 10, above the valve closing level of' the level predetermined as the highest permissible level for the liquid in the crank case when the engine is inclined downward away from the governing receptacle, z'. e., uwhen the vehicle is on a descending grade. This may be understood upon considering the condition created by the inclination of the receptacle resulting vfrom the vehicle being on adescending gradeawhich is, that the valve-seating level of the liquid in the receptacle shifts from that indicated at .frto thatI indicated by dotted line, y-y, while I the/level'in 'the crank'c'ase at an assumed vertical inidfplane, Z, thereof, rises a small 1li distance 2-2, and that at the limit of' this wrise'in the crank case the intake mouth of the tube,'1, is above the level of the liquid in the governing receptacle; and the valve, 5, being, held closed at this level, no liquid comes into or goes out of the receptacle while the vehicle remains in that inclined position or becomes more inclined. It will be' seen that the height of the intalt'cmouth, l2, may be such that it .y would lhe uncovered by a slight change of 'inclination of the vehicle; but since a limited "rise of level of the oil in the `crank case Ais permissible, the height of the v intake of the tube, 12, is desirable, such as to allow the oil to continuously flow to the crank case while the vehicle is incl-ined to a less vextent than would cause the oil to rise Abeyond that ermissible height in the crank case, rather t an to have the oil How out off.'

for so large a art of the time as wouldvresult from making the tube, l2, so low that very slight inclination of the vehicle would thus cut it off. lVhile it will be obvious, as above stated that so long as the vehicle remains on the down-grade at an inclination great enough to leave the intake mouth of the liquid in the governing receptacle, the crank case will receive no additional supply of lubricating oil, this is not objectionable, because the 'supply normally maintained in the crank case while the vehicle is horizontal or approximately so, is sufficient without further replenishing for many miles of travel, and restoration of the vehicle to approximately horizontal position vfor even a few seconds will serve to fully replenish the Supply-.

Also 1n former devlces the governing .r-

ceptacle has been provided/with an air vent', 56/ supposed to be necessary. in order-to permit avity the liquid to drain-from it freely by Iinto the crank case, with the resu t that when the vehicle is on the up grade, the 'oil' is liable to low from the crank case back vent, thereby not only de riving the crank case of lubricating o'il W ich must be subsequently re-suppliecl, but .-also causing waste and creating liability to fires by rea: mn of the ovcrow of .the oil onto'- the enthere were n'o compression of the imprisinto the receptacle and out through the air lsupply accumulating in the receptacle, 3,

above the intake. of the outlet tube, 12,

V causes the compression of the air imprisoned in the receptacle above the liquid therein, which insures discharge ofthe liquid from the receptacle into the crank case under all conditions without a direct atmosphere inlet for that purpose; and in any event, even if l oned air (which will be only slight because the air will tend to pass up in bubbles through the liquid flowing down through the pipe, 2), the head of liquid inthe main supply tank, l, will always be operative to 85, force the flow of liquid from/thevreceptacle into thecrank case when the valve, 5, is opened for liquid How into'the receptacle, and any lowering of the liquid level in the crank case below the level4 to which it'will be raised while the receptacle is filling to the level at which thev float will close the vinlet valve, will cause the head ofthe liquid to open the inlet valve to admit a further supply and discharge a corresponding supply into'the crank case. I

The valve, 5,is checked against movement beyond a very short distance from4 its seat, by the detent, 4", and .sucked inward from the margin of the skirt, 4", of the fitting, 4, as -seen in Figs. 1 and 3.. The purpose and advantage ofvthis is that thereby the flow of lubricating oil from the elevated tank, 1, is limited to slow dropping, the rate being easily made as low as ten drops per minute; and this low rate, while permitting an envtirely adequate supply to meet the consumption in the engine crank case, lprevents any danger of flooding the crank case under any ordinary circumstances of travel, even if the 1l'. float by becoming water-log dshould fail to operate for closing the vaqe.

Iclaim: f 1. In a device for the purpose indicated in combination with a chamber in which the liquid level 'is to be governed, a receptacle having at its upper part an inlet fitting and a float-operated valve controlling the inlet; an outlet comprising a duct havin its intake in the receptacle positioned be ow the 12o valv'eseatin level of the liquid and at a4 substantial istanceabove the bottom of the receptacle, and` substantially at the pre-d vdetermined highest level of liquid to be perbeing closed except asl to its liquid inlet level; a Float-operated valve for `contl'ollin Leeaeaa the outlet duct intake being at the side of the lliquid-level-governing chamber remote from Vthe liquid-level-governcd chamber.

3. ln the construction defined in claim 1, the conduit consisting of a pipe extended from its connection with the outlet duct acrossl under the liquid-level-governing receptacle, and means for clamping said receptacle to said pipe.

4. ln a device for the purpose indicated, in combination with a liquid-levcl-governed chamber, a main supply tank at a high level for supplying liquid by gravity flow; a,

liquid-level-governlng receptacle at a lower the gravity discharge ,from the elevate tank to the liquid-level-governin receptacle; a conduit from said receptac e to the liquid-level-governed chamber, said conduit havingits intake from the .receptacle located below the high liquid level of the leyelgoverning receptacle, said receptacle from the elevated tank, and its liquid discharge from the level-governed chamber.

5. "[n a device-for .the purpose indicated, in combination with a main oil supply tank at a high level a level-governing receptacle at a lower level; a conduit by which the level-governing receptacle is supplied by gravity from the elevated tank; a valve which controls the discharge of liquid into the level-governing receptacle; a oat in said receptacle which controls said valve according to the level of liquid in said receptacle; a level-governed chamber; a conduit from the level-governing receptacle to the level-governed chamber, said conduit. having its intake in the levelgoverning receptacle, at a distance from the bottom thereof, and Substantially at the highest liquid level to be permitted in the level-governed chamber when said chamberI is lowered relatively to the levelgoverning chamber.

1n testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Chicago, Illinois, this 20th day of February, 1919.

VIGGO N. HANSEN 

